I am listening to someone explain that unless it was shot down by a fighter jet, it would take an advanced system to shoot down an airline plane flying at 33,000 feet. The more basic shoulder-fired launcher that a rag tag force might have could never come anywhere near that altitude.

It doesn't make sense for the Ukrainians to have done it -- they are already saying it wasn't them. It's possible, but not the likely explanation. So that leaves the question of whether it was done by the Russians from Russian territory or whether it was separatists who got their hands on an advanced weapon system.

If Russian soldiers are responsible, it means they are really trigger happy and not well trained. It was a known flight path, and the transponders from the plane should have been giving off a civilian signal. Plus it is a big, lumbering target that it would be impossible to confuse with something else. Fomer airfrorce col. saying it is inconceivable they couldn't know what kind of plane it was. He can't imagine they intentionally targeted it, so the question becomes why? He said he doesn't think a separatist group could have likely pulled it off, even with the right missile system, but who knows? But for military that knows what it is doing, it is a really easy target with a huge profile in the sky. A basic launcher-based missile that the Russians have had for decades could take it down easily and all of the infantry units travel with those missiles.

And one would think that the only organization in that area with any possession of such a weapon would be the Ukrainian armed forces. Rebels do have smaller SAMs, of course, but highly unlikely they have Buk missiles (or the knowledge to operate such an incredibly complex tracking system).

New president is denying his forces shot down the plane, of course. However, last week, Ukrainian forces moved Buk missile batteries into the eastern part of the country, where it is fighting pro-Russian separatists.

Not surprisingly, "Separatist leader Andrei Purgin told The Associated Press that he was certain that Ukrainian troops had shot the plane down but gave no explanation or proof for his statement."

And one would think that the only organization in that area with any possession of such a weapon would be the Ukrainian armed forces.

New president is denying his forces shot down the plane, of course. However, last week, Ukrainian forces moved Buk missile batteries into the eastern part of the country, where it is fighting pro-Russian separatists.